Method of manufacturing vinyl acetate



March 5, 1968 G. B. KARNoFsKY 3,372,187

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING VINYL ACETATE original Filed Nov. 19, 1962 2 sheets-snm l 596mm mzrm INVENTOR. smak'. B. K/JwoFsKvl Y Emy/M ATToRNYs.

Mardi 5 1968 G. B. KARNoFsKY 3,372,187

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING VINYL ACETATE Original Filed Nov. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a* E a D Z x 8 l K 2 GEORGE B. KARNOFSKY.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent iihce 3,372,187 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 3,372,187 METHOD F MANUFACTURING VlNYL ACETATE George B. Karnofsky, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner to Blaw- Knox Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Original application Nov. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 238,514, now Patent No. 3,172,733, dated Mar. 9, 1965. Divided and this application Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,252

7 Claims. (Cl. 260-498) This invention relates to an improved method for the manufacture of vinyl acetate monomer from acetylene and -acetic acid, and this 'application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 238,514, filed Nov. 19, 1962, now issued as Patent No. 3,172,733, granted Mar. 9, 1965.

Vinyl acetate is commonly produced by reacting actylene gas with vaporized glacial acetic acid in the presence of a catalyst. The reaction proceeds to a point of equilibrium, leaving unreacted substantialv amounts of acetylene and acetic acid. These unreacted compounds leave the reactor along with the vinyl acetate monomer, and, in addition, there are small amounts of side reaction products. United States patent to Stanton, No. 2,794,827, 4granted June 4, 1957, discloses such a procedure and the general aspects of these side reaction products. A commercial operation therefor involves the recovery of the vinyl acetate, the recycle to the reactor of unreacted acetic acid and acetylene, and the removal of these side reaction products. Important in the operation of the process is the venting of uncondensable gases with a minimum loss of acetylene.

It is presently good practice and typical in such processes to condense the crude products leaving the reactor by cooling such products to a temperature 'as low as 0 F., this low temperature lbeing necessary in order to minimize recycling to the catalyst of product vinyl acetate and byproducts in the acetylene stream. Ineffective cooling and condensation of the vinyl acetate and its recycle with acetylene to the reactor would result in the further reaction or decomposition of the vinyl Iacetate into other unwanted end products, or `at least the undesirable dilution of the mixture of acetic acid vapor and acetylene in the reactor.

The reaction between acetic acid and acetylene is exothermic and takes place at a controlled temperature between 340 F. to 420 F., the temperature depending on catalyst age and activity. For each new volume of acetylene fed into the system, roughly eight volumes must' be recycled. It is therefore apparent that a commercial plant for cooling the products of the reactor to temperatures well below freezing and at around 0 F. entails substantial expense both inl the rst cost of the refrigeration plant and in the subsequent power costs for its operation.

in contrast to all other processes where good commercial production involves low temperature condensation of the crude product from the reactor, the present invention provides a method for producing vinyl acetate monomer wherein the products from the reactor are condensed in an absorption column utilizing acetic acid as the absorbent, and preferably acetic -acid derived from gthe reycling of acetic acid which has left the reactor. The minimum refrigerant temperature required in this process is about 40 F. as compared with temperatures in the neighborhood of zero degrees. This reduces both the capital investment for low temperature refrigeration facilities and the high power cost of operating them.

The invention further provides for the scrubbing of the vent gases with the acetic acid being recycled to the absorption column by rst flowing the recycled -acetic acid through a scrubber and then into the absorption column.

A side stream from the gas being recycled to the reactor contacts the acetic acid in the scrubber and the acetylene component of' the side stream is `absorbed while uncondensed gases are vented from the scrubber and removed from the system with negligible loss of acetylene.

The invention has for a principal object to provide an improved method for the manufacture of vinyl acetate monomer from acetylene and acetic acid.

The invention has for a further object to provide a method for the manufacture of vinyl acetaterequiring avlower capital investment and lower operating cost than existing commercial processes, and to provide a method for recovering reaction products 'by' absorption, rather than by low temperature condensation.

The invention has for a further object to provide forV venting non-condensable reaction gases from the reactor in an effective and economical manner.

These and other objects and advantages are secured by my invention as will hereinafter more fully appear from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a simplified block diagram showing schematically an apparatus for the practice of the method'according to this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the absorber section of the system.

It may be pointed out that the chemistry of the process of producing vinyl acetate monomer by reacting acetylene and acetic 'acid over a catalyst such, for example, as zinc acetate on the surface of coke or similar bodies, is well known in the art and constitutes no part per se of the present invention` The present invention pertains to the physical treatment of the products from the reactor to recover therefrom the vinyl acetate and reuse unreacted acetic acid 'and acetylene and vent from the reactor system uncondensable vapors, while preventing theA recirculation into the reactor of undesirable side reaction products. It may be explained that in the following description the terms overhead products and bottoms, or bottom products follow commercial paralance reference to overhead meaning products derived from the top of la distillation column and bottoms having reference `to product derived from the lower end of the distillation column. Also, the reactor Iand several distillation columns are of 4known construction so that the drawings are sche-4 matic.

In FIG. 1 which shows the general organization ofthe apparatus, the different sections have been indicated by brackets. The portion of the system embodying the reac.- tion section is designated A. The portion of the apparatus designated generally as B includes the absorber portion of the system where the crude products ofthe reaction are contacted with recycled still bottoms comprised mainly of acetic acid. The portion designated C is adeg'assing and distillation portion of the system up to the still for the separation of vinyl acetate and acetic acid, and the section marked -D indicates the portion of the apparatus where vinyl acetate and acetic acid are separated by djstillation. The next and last part E includes the portion of the system in which acetic acid not recycled to the absorber is rectified Ifor reuse in the reaction and b'atch still apparatus for the final recovery of residual acetic acid and acetylene from certain end products before they are discharged from the system.

Referring to FIG. 1 in greater detail, acetylene is supplied through pipe 2 to the reactor feed pipe 3. Glacial acetic acid, after being heated and vaporized in vessel 4 is also introduced into the reactor feed pipe 3 and enters the reactor 5. The products of the reactor system designated crude reaction products are conducted through pipe 6 into the lower end of the absorption column designatedy generally as 7. Here these products move countercurrently toward the top of the absorberv against a downflow of absorbent, the absorbent comprising acetic acid from which vinyl 4acetate has been stripped. The reactionv products are here absorbed by this acetic acid. Unabsorbed acetylene withdrawn from the absorption section is carried back from the top of the absorption column through pipe 8 back to the pipe 2 to be recycled through` the` reactor. The absorbent, after leaving the absorber, flows into a collector 9 and into pipe 10 carrying with it absorbed products.

From pipe 10 it may follow either one of two courses here illustrated. According to the first, valve 11 in branch pipe 12. is closed and valve 13 is open, so that the absorbent passes directly into the succeeding section C of the apparatus. The degassing column is designated l1li and the acetaldehyde column is 15. The flow of absorbent is from the bottom of column 14 through pipe 17 to section D where vinyl acetate is removed. as overhead from vinyl acetate column 18. The bottoms are withdrawn through pipe 19.

These bottoms, consisting mainly of acetic acid stripped of vinyl acetate and some side reaction products ow in part through pipe into a vent gas scrubber 21 located above the absorber in section B, as hereinafter more fully described. From the scrubber they flow into the top of absorber as also later explained. The remainder of the Ibottoms from the vinyl acetate column ow through pipe 20 to the Iacetic acid column 22 in section E. From the top of this column fully rectified acetic acid is removed to be returned through pipe 23 which connects with pipe 24 at 25. New glacial acetic acid is supplied through pipe 24 to mix with the rectified acetic acid from column 22. The acetic `acid from these two sources is supplied to the vaporizing vessel 4 through pipe 26.

i According to this arrangement only that portion of the unreacted acetic lacid which is to be recycled to the reactor is fully rectified, while the portion which is recycled to the scrubber and absorber to be again used as the absorptive medium is incompletely rectified. This is an important advantage in that it reduces the capacity and operating cost of the apparatus for rectifying the acid and the removal of unwanted or harmful side reaction products.

The distillation system further includes columns arranged to remove crotonaldehyde and compounds intermediate in volatility between vinyl acetate and crotonaldehyde, which may include divinyl acetylene if present. The vinyl acetate monomer is transferred to storage. The bottoms from the acetic acid still Vare carried over through pipe 27 to a batch still 28.

From the foregoing the general arrangement of the apparatus becomes apparent. As will hereinafter more fully appear, unreacted acetylene will be recycled to the aborber from the tops of distillation columns where it is released from the absorbent. More detailed description follows.

The reactor 5 is filled' with a catalyst of a type well known in the Iart. Through the action of the catalyst, acetylene and acetic acid vapor combine until a condition of equilibrium is established. The acetic acid and acetylene rea-ct to form vinyl acetate as the principal compound, Aalong with small amounts of the side reaction products above referred to, with a substantial remainder of unreacted acetic acid and acetylene. All of the products of the reactor, including the unreacted components, are Withdrawn from the top of the reactor through pipe 6, shown connected to the bottom of the absorption column 7, Iand as shown in the drawings, flow without separation of any components into the absorption column. It is to be understood that conventional filters, heat exchangers, etc., not shown in the drawings, may be provided in the flow of crude products between the reactor 5 and absorption column 7 as may be desired.

The reactor is maintained at an elevated temperature by any suitable means, not shown, according to conventional practice.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the products from the reactor flowing through pipe 6 pass through a heat exchanger 6a where they are cooled and then flow through pipe 6b into the lower portion of an absorber column. The Iabsorber, designated generally as 7 in FIG. 1, comprises a suitably packed column 30 where the products from the reactor may rise countercurrent to a down-flowing stream of absorbent which, as vabove explained, is principally acetic acid. The countercurrent liquid-gas contact column is generally well known, and the interior construction of it forms no part of the present invention. It is important, however, that temperature conditions in 'the absorber be properly controlled for the reason that glacial acetic acid freezes or solidifies at 62 F. Fortunately, however, its freezing point decreases as it becomes diluted with vinyl acetate which it absorbs as it iiows downward through the column. Temperature conditions, therefore, must be kept at a level above the freezing temperature of the acetic acid or the acetic acid-vinyl acetate solution, but below the boiling point of vinyl acetate and some of the lighter side reaction compounds, Iand should not exceed about 100 F. since the vinyl acetate would be carried out by the acetylene above that temperature. The absorption of the products of the reactor into absorbent is an exothermic phenomenon, and controlled cooling is therefore necessary to keep the temperature below about 100 F., but above the level where freezing of the absorbent might occur, preferably in the neighborhood of F.

In the heat exchanger 6a the reaction products flowing to the lower portion of the absorber are cooled. As indicated in the diagram in FIG. 2, there is a series of absorption stages in the absorption column disposed vertically one above another, these being designated generally from bottom to top as 3S, 36, 37 and 33, respectively. The packed sections inside the absorber are schematically indicated at 35a, 36a, 37a and 38a respectively. The external fluid circulating elements of each absorption stage include a circulating pump 39 and an external heat exchanger 40. Refrigerated water from a source not shown is supplied through pipe 41 to the lowermost heat exchanger 40 and iiows in series through the successive heat exchangers upwardly to an outlet pipe 42 from the uppermost external heat exchanger. By this arrangement the lower end of the absorber, where the cooling requirement is greatest because most of the vinyl acetate is absorbed there, is supplied with coolant at the lowest temperature. The temperature gradient of the cooling water through the several heat exchangers 40 at successive levels provides the lowest cooling water temperature where the absorbent is most dilute, Iand increasingly higher cooling water temperatures toward the top, so that the minimum temperature of the absorbent in each section of the absorber is above the freezing temperature of the acetic acid with the absorbed reaction products.

Acetic acid enters the top of the absorber column 5 through a pipe 45. Acetic acid saturated with absorbed reaction products is collected in the vessel 9 at the bottom of the column. The absorbent with the absorbed crude re-N action product is pumped from the vessel 9 through pipe 10 by pump 10A and to the first portion of the distillation section of the apparatus, assuming as before that valve 11 is closed and valve 13 is open.

Unreacted acetylene and other noncondensable gases leave the top of the absorber column through pipe 46 connected to pipe 8. The main body of these gases flows through this pipe, which connects to pipe 2 in advance of blower 8a to be recycled to the reactor. Part of these gases, however, are withdrawn as a side stream from the pipe 46 through pipe 47 into the vent gas scrubber 21 where the side stream gases flow countercurrent to acetic acid absorbent entering through pipe 20. This acetic acid absorbs acetylene from the gases entering-the vent gas scrubber, while other gases not absorbed by the acetic acid, and which must be vented from the system, are removed from the top of the scrubber through pipe 48 and seal pot 49 (see FIG. 2) into stack discharge pipe 50. The acetic acid absorbent iows from the bottom of the scrubber 21 into the pipe 45 to the top of the main absorber column 30. The acetic acid suppliedto the vent gas scrubber is derived, as hereinbefore indicated and hereinafter more fully described, from the subsequent distillation stages of the system.

Included in the pipe 20 as shown in FIG. 2, but for clarity of illustration not shown in FIG. 1, is a heat exchanger 51, and if desired a preceding heatexchanger 52. In the heat exchanger 51 the absorbent is cooled by spent refrigerant owing through pipe 42 owing out of the last heat exchanger 40 for the absorber. In heat exchanger 52 the absorbent iiowing to the scrubber is initially cooled.

With proper temperature control in the absorber and an adequate flow of absorbent, all of the reaction products including the vinyl acetate and the heavier side reaction products and acetylene which is absorbed in the scrubber are carried with the absorbent into vessel 9 and pipe 1t) as previously described.

Also, as previously pointed out in the operation of the reactor, certain non-condensable gases are introduced with the acetylene or produced which must be vented from any system for the manufacture of vinyl acetate from the reaction of acetylene and glacial acetic acid, because if they were not vented, they would accumulate in the system and be recycled with the acetylene, diluting it, and reducing the e'iciency of the reactor. With the present system, the side stream of gas which is'lead from the top of the absorption column through the pipe 47 into the scrubber is contacted with acetic acid flowing to the absorber. The acetic acid is thus utilized in the scrubber to recover most of the acetylene in this side stream, while the non-condensable gases escape from the scrubber. The use of acetic acid in the scrubber prior to its use in the absorber is not detrimental, inasmuch as the absorbent must become saturated with acetylene anyway in the top of the absorber if it were not already so saturated, so that there is no disadvantage in it becoming saturated in the scrubber in advance of the top of the absorber. Moreover the acetic acid leaving the heat exchanger 51 and entering the top of the scrubber is cooled to about 70 F., rendering it more effective as an absorber for acetylene in the scrubber, and its temperature level is in the range necessary for use in the absorption column.

It is important to bear in mind that While I have referred to acetic acid being supplied to thescrubber and to the absorber as the absorption medium, this is preferably not fully rectified acetic acid, but acetic acid from which vinyl acetate has been stripped but otherwise incompletely rectified.

In the Stanton patent above referred to, it is stated that it is the usual practice to introduce the make-up or new acetic acid to the system through the scrubber, and from the scrubber it eventually reaches the reactor.

The present invention departs from the usual practice there described in that the make-up acid is supplied `directly to the reactor and acetic acid vbottoms from an intermediate stage of rectification is used in the scrubber. Furthermore, the acetic acid bottoms supplied to the scrubber according to this invention are used as the absorption medium in which the products of the reactor are entrained and subsequently separated. Dissolved in the product from the absorption column are various compounds, including acetylene, acetaldehyde, vinyl acetate, crotoaldehyde and ethylene diacetate.

The degassing column 14 in section C to which the absorbent from vessel 9 is first pumped is a conventional distillation column with a condenser (not shown) at the top. Acetyleue gas with traces of light end gases are carried from the top of this unit through pipe 55 and pipe 56 back to the absorption column, being preferably introduced into that column intermediate the top and bottom. Liquid overhead condensed at the top of the degassing column is ldelivered through pipe 57 to the acetaldehyde column 15, entering this column between its top and bottom. This is a conventional distillation column having a condenser (not shown). Acetylene given off at the top of this column is carried by pipe 61 to the pipe 56 for return to the absorption column while the liquid cut comprising largely acetaldehyde is carried olf through pipe 62. Bottoms from column 60 are returned through pipe 63 to the lower portion of the degassing column 21.

In the section indicated as D in FIG. l the bottoms from the degassing column carried through the pipe 17 enter a distillation column 18 which is designated the vinyl acetate column. The product from the pipe 17 enters the column 18 intermediate its top and bottom. The top of the column may conveniently include a conventional refluxing system (not shown) as commonly used v in such equipment. Vinyl acetate, which is the overhead product is condensed by conventional means (not shown) and removed through pipe 18a tostorage, while the bottoms from columns 18 are removed through pipe 19 where a portion thereof is passed by pipe 20 back to the vent gas scrubber and the absorber as previously described. Since the bottoms withdrawn will exceed by the amount of unreacted acetic acid the amount required to be recirculated to the absorber, the remainder are directed to the right as shown in FIG. 1 through pipe 20' as above explained to the acetic acid rectification column.

A side stream is taken off the column 18 at a predetermined level below the top through pipe 65 to the upper portion of a distillation column 70 for the removal of compounds intermediate in volatility between vinyl acetate and crotonaldehyde, such as, for example, divinyl acetylene if present, for which reason column 70 has been called divinyl acetylene column in FIG. l. The overhead from the column 70 is cycled from the topof this column through pipe 71 back to the vinyl acetate column 18 at a level above the side stream oiftake at 65. Divinyl acetylene is removed from the bottom of column 18 through pipe 72 to a point of disposal.

A second pipe 73 at a proper level above the bottom of column 18 removes a side stream from below the mid point of this column,'and this side stream is led from the column 1.8 to 'a point near the bottom of anlother column 75 designated the crotonaldehyde column,

which is also a conventional distillation tower provided with refluxing means and overhead product condensing means in the usual manner (not shown). Overhead product is removed from this column through pipe 76 leading to a crotonaldehyde fraction storage tank 77. Bottoms withdrawn from the column 75 through pipe 78 return to the vinyl acetate column 18 at a level above the pipe 73, the point of return of pipe 78 to column 18 being designated 78a.

The acetic acid rectifying column 22 to which part of the bottoms of the vinyl acetate column flow through pipe 20 is also a conventional distillation column with the usual reiiuxing and condensing system (not shown) at the top, and reboiler at the bottom. As previously explained, the overhead from this ycolumn is rectified acetic acid that is returned to the reactor through pipe 23. The bottoms from the column 22 are comprised largely of ethylidene diacetate and acetic anhydride and these are carried by pipe 27 to a storage tank 79 enroute to the batch still 28.

The overhead from the crotonaldehyde column collected in storage vessel 77 and the bottoms in vessel 78 are produced in relatively small amounts but they contain some residuum of acetic acid and vinyl acetate. The batch still 28 is for the distillation of these relatively small quantities of material collected in vessels 77 and 79 and separating out a substantial portion of these residues of acetic acid and vinyl acetate. Condensate is transferred from vessels 77 and 79 through pipes 8G and 81 respectively to pipe 82 for transfer to the batch still 28, which is also of conventional construction. It may be desirable to collect the acetic acid and vinyl acetate from the batch still separately from the main stream to avoid any likelihood of crotonaldehyde or other side reaction products getting back into the reactor or into the vinyl acetate.

In the foregoing description one method of using the apparatus is described without reference to that column designated crude splitter and indicated by the numeral 90, and as above described, this column could be eliminated. However, the preferred arrangement and method includes this column. It, like the other columns, is of conventional construction and has reiiuxing means including a condenser, indicated at 91 'at the top.

Utilizing the absorber feed column, valve i1 in branch pipe 12 is open and valve 13 in pipe 10 is closed so that the absorbent from the absorption column and vessel 9 flows up branch pipe 12 into the upper portion of the crude splitter. Bottoms from this column flow through pipe 92 and valve 93 (which is open, but which wasclosed during the procedure first described) into pipe 20 to the scrubber 21. Part of the bottoms removed to the pipe 20 flow in the reverse direction to pipe 20 and directly into the Iacetic acid column.

Products from the top of column 9) enter the condenser and reflux means 9i, some of the condensate being refiuxed to the column through pipe 94 and some of the overhead condensate is carried through pipe 95 and valve 96y (which is now open, but which is closed when using the apparatus according to the first method) into pipe lll to there continue through the system as first described. Acetylene which is released from the absorbent in this column is carried through pipe 97 to pipe 56 back to the absorption column.

The overhead product carried over through pipe 95 comprises principally vinyl acetate and acetic acid, along with lesser amounts of acetylaldehyde, crotonaldehyde and lighter end products. The bottoms which are recycled to the scrubber comprise principally `acetic acid with acetic anhydride and ethylidene diacetate. These two compounds are low melting compounds, so they reduce the freezing point of the acetic acid and reduce the possibility of the acetic acid freezing in the absorber under some unusual operating condition. This is one reason why this second method, using the crude splitter, is preferable to utilizing the bottoms from the vinyl acetate column to the scrubber. Another important reason for using the second method with the crude splitter is the early removal of ethylidene diacetate from intimate association with the vinyl acetate monomer, which it is likely to subsequently contaminate upon subsequent heating.

Since acetic anhydride and ethylidene diacetate will tend to accumulate in the absorbent in its continuous recycle between absorber and the crude splitter column, provision may be made at 100= for drawing off a small amount of the bottoms in the absorberfeed column circuit. The bottoms so drawn off may be taken by pipes not shown to the Iacetic acid column or to the batch still for recovery of the acetic acid.

For simplification of the description, the reboilers, circulating pumps, condensers and refluXing means for the several columns, as well as other accessories, all of which are conventional and well known in the art have not been shown, since the invention is embodied by the system and not its individual components.

It is import-ant in any of the systems that the bottoms which are recycled to the absorber be from some point where the acetic acid has been stripped of vinyl acetate, and that the temperature in the absorber itself be low enough to assure absorption of the vinyl acetate into the absorbent without likelihood of the vinyl acetate being carried off with the acetylene and recycled to the reactor where it might be broken down in a second pass to the reactor into undesirable compounds, or would at least be a diluent in the reactor that would reduce the eficiency of the reactor.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the basic chemistry of the process is that which has heretofore been used. |The present invention, however, provides a more economical procedure for processing the crude products from the reactor and recycling unreacted acetylene and acetic acid, without subjecting these products to the low temperature condensation demanded by present-day good commercial practice. The extensive refrigeration equipment and power requirement necessary to cool the products to a temperature of about 10 F. or below |are eliminated since the lowest temperature for the coolant for the absorber need be only as low as about 40 F. and water may be used as the refrigerant for the absorber coolers.

The invention utilizes as the absorbent, bottoms from a subsequent distillation stage which are comprised principally of acetic acid in preference to completely refined acetic acid, both because of the economy of utilizing a partially refined acid in place of one that has been fully rectied by distillation, and because the heavier side reaction products depress the freezing point of the acetic acid `and thereby reduce the probability of its freezing under any unusual condition. It is important, as above noted, that the absorbent be removed from a point in the distillation system for return to the absorber where it has been stripped of vinyl acetate, or at least most of it. It would, of course, be possible to utilize acetic acid that has been fully rectified as the absorbent, and the present invention includes such use, but there are advantages in using crude bottoms from an earlier distillation column because the possibility of 'freezing in the absorption column is substantially eliminated and there is a substantial economy with no offsetting disadvantage to using acetic acid which has not been fully rectified. The fully rectified acid, however, should be used for -recycle to the reactor.

In brief, the present invention effectively eliminates detrimental amounts of vinyl acetate and traces of cortonaldehyde from the acetylene that is recycled to the reactor more satisfactorily than does conventional low ternperature condensation, but without the attendant cost of the low temperature system.

Since it is not possible to avoid the inclusion of some atmospheric gases and noncondensable gases from the reactor discharge, the present invention involving the use of recycled still bottoms in the vent gas scrubber accomplishes the removal of these gases after operation has become stabilized at the same rate that they are formed or fed into the system, thereby preventing the increasing accumulation of these gases as the operation continues.

While I have shown and described in detail certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made therein and in the organization and location of various components within the contemplation of this invention and under the scope of the following'claims.

I claim:

1. In the method of manufacturing vinyl .acetate monomer by the known method wherein glacial acetic acid and acetylene are introduced into a reactor, the products of which are unreacted acetylene, unreacted acetic acid, vinyl acetate and other condensable side reaction components and wherein such reactor products are subsequently separated in a system comprising a succession of distillation columns in one of which vinyl acetate is stripped from said products and from the iinal one of which rectified acetic acid is obtained .and wherein the unreacted acetylene and rectified acetic acid are recycled to the reactor, the herein-defined process wherein low temerature refrigeration for condensation of the reactor vapor prior to distillation is eliminated, comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing all of the reactor products in vapor and gaseous form into an absorption `column interposed between the reactor and the distillation system,

(b) withdrawing a part of the unreacted acetic acid from the distillation system only after the vinyl acetate has been stripped therefrom but before it has been completely rectified and transferring the remaining part of the unrectified acetic acid to the distillation system immediately following the location at which the vinyl acetate has been removed from the distillation system,

(c) introducing the part of the acetic acid so withdrawn into the Iabsorption column as a liquid in a flow countercurrent to the reaction products and absorbing therein condensable components from the reactor,

(d) controlling the temperature Within the absorption column substantially throughout its length by indirect cooling to a generally uniform level below 100 F. and above 40 F., and

(e) passing the acetic acid with all of the absorbed components from the .absorption 'column into the distillation system.

2. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the temperature in the absorption column is maintained through indirect heat exchange effected inside the column at a maximum temperature of about 80 F.

3. The method defined in claim 1 in which the acetic acid used as the absorbent is introduced into the top of an absorption column and the reactor products are introduced into the lower portion of the column and ow countercurrent to the acetic acid and the temperature within the column is controlled by indirect -cooling effected through the use of water as a coolant with the coolest water being used at the lower portion of the column, and with the water temperature increasing toward the top of the column.

4. The method defined in claim 1 in which the acetic acid used `as the absorbent is introduced into the top of an absorption column and the reactor products are introduced into the lower portion of the column and ow countercurrent to the acetic acid and the temperature within the column is controlled by indirect cooling effected through the use of water as a coolant with the coolest water being used at the lower portion of the column, and

with the water temperature increasing toward the top of the column, the water at the bottom of the column being around 40 F. and at the top being around 80 F. bue below F.

5. The method of manufacturing vinyl acetate monomer as defined in claim 1 in which the acetic acid withdrawn from the system for use as an absorbent has been stripped of vinyl acetate and side reaction products having a lower boiling Ipoint than vinyl acetate, but in which there remain heavy side reaction products having a boiling point higher than that of acetic acid.

6. In the method of manufacturing vinyl acetate monomer as defined in claim 1 in which the acetic acid is introduced into the top of an absorption column and the reaction products are introduced into the lower portion of the column and flow countercurrent to the acetic acid with temperature within the column being maintained throughout at a level below about 100 F. .and above 40 F. by indirect cooling, wherein uncondensed gases including acetylene are withdrawn from the top of the absorption column and part of the gases so withdrawn are recycled to the reactor and a part thereof is circulated through a scrubber .and the acetic acid so withdrawn for use as an absorbent is first circulated through the scrubber and thereafter is introduced into the top of the absorption column, and eiuent gases are vented from the scrubber to the atmosphere.

7. The method of manufacturing vinyl acetate monomer as dened in claim 1 in which all of the reactor products are preliminarily cooled before they are introduced as gases and vapors into the absorption column.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,794,827 6/ 1957 Stanton etal 260-498 3,280,178 10/1966 Barbour 260-498 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,262,345 4/1961 France.

1,311,244 10/1662 France.

LORRAINE A. WEINBERGER, Primary Examiner. R. K. JACKSON, Examiner.

V. GARNER, Assistant Examiner'. 

1. IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING VINYL ACETATE MONOMER BY THE KNOWN METHOD WHEREIN GLACIAL ACETIC ACID AND ACETYLENE ARE INTRODUCED INTO A REACTOR, THE PRODUCTS OF WHICH ARE UNREACTED ACETYLENE, UNREACTED ACETIC ACID, VINYL ACETATE AND OTHER CONDENSABLE SIDE REACTION COMPONENTS AND WHEREIN SUCH REACTOR PRODUCTS ARE SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATED IN A SYSTEM COMPRISING A SUCCESSION OF DISTILLATION COLUMNS IN ONE OF WHICH VINYL ACETATE IS STRIPPED FROM SAID PRODUCTS AND FROM THE FINAL ONE OF WHICH RECTIFIED ACETIC ACID IS OBTAINED AND WHEREIN THE UNREACTED ACETYLENE AND RECTIFIED ACETIC ACID ARE RECYCLED TO THE REACTOR, THE HEREIN-DEFINED PROCESS WHEREIN LOW TEMPERATURE REFRIGERATION FOR CONDENSATION OF THE REACTOR VAPOR PRIOR TO DISTILLATION IS ELIMINATED, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) INTRODUCING ALL OF THE REACTOR PRODUCTS IN VAPOR AND GASEOUS FORM INTO AN ABSORPTION COLUMN INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE REACTOR AND THE DISTILLATION SYSTEM, (B) WITHDRAWING A PART OF THE UNREACTED ACETIC ACID FROM THE DISTILLATION SYSTEM ONLY AFATER THE VINYL ACETATE HAS BEEN STIPPED THEREFROM BUT BEFORE IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RECTIFIED AND TRANSFEERRING THE REMAINING PART OF THE UNRECTIFIED ACETIC ACID TO THE DISTILLATION SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE LOCATION AT WHICH THE VINYL ACETATE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE DISTILLATION SYSTEM, (C) INTRODUCING THE PART OF THE ACETIC ACID SO WITHDRAWN INTO THE ADSORPTION COLUMN AS A LIQUID IN A FLOW COUNTERCURRENT TO THE REACTION PRODUCTS AND ABSORBING THEREIN CONDENSABLE COMPONENTS FROM THE REACTOR, (D) CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE ABSORPTION COLUMN SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH BY INDIRECT COOLING TO A GENERALLY UNIFORM LEVEL BELOW 100* F. AND ABOVE 40*F., AND (E) PASSING THE ACETIC ACID WITH ALL OF THE ABSORBED COMPONENTS FROM THE ABSORPTION COLUMN INTO THE DISTILLATION SYSTEM. 